The surging Pirates claimed their seventh straight win, edging the Astros, 3-2, on Rennie Stennett's run-scoring single in the bottom of the 11th. Bill Robinson drew a walk to open the inning and moved to third when loser Bo McLaughlin threw away Al Oliver's sacrifice bunt attempt. Stennett followed with a single to right.

Robinson tied the score when he led off the ninth with a solo homer. The Astros grabbed a 2-0 lead in the sixth when Art Howe singled home Jose Cruz and later scored on Roger Metzger's double. Pittsburgh got one back in the eighth on a single and stolen base by Omar Moreno and pinch-hitter Fernando Gonzalez' base hit. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Wednesday, July      27, 1977 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0    0  0  -   2 11  1
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  1    0  1  -   3 12  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               6   0   2   0     0   2   .240      Taveras ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .227
Cabell 3b             6   0   2   0     0   2   .273        Gossage p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
Cedeno cf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .211        Fregosi ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .293
Watson 1b             5   0   1   0     0   1   .280        Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Cruz rf               5   1   2   0     0   2   .293      Garner 3b,ss,3b       5   0   1   0     0   0   .241
Ferguson c            4   0   0   0     1   1   .259      Parker rf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .339
Howe 2b               4   1   1   1     1   1   .286      Robinson 1b           4   2   2   1     1   1   .314
Metzger ss            3   0   1   1     2   0   .183      Oliver lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .290
Lemongello p          4   0   0   0     0   0   .024      Stennett 2b           5   0   3   1     0   0   .332
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Ott c                 4   0   0   0     0   0   .265
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .243      Moreno cf             4   1   2   0     0   1   .239
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      O. Jones p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .235
                                                            Hairston ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .283
                                                            Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
                                                            Gonzalez ph,3b      2   0   1   1     0   0   .288
                                                            Mendoza ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .209

Totals               43   2  11   2     4   9             Totals               39   3  12   3     1   4

Time of Game: 2:51   Attendance: 11,253
Left on Base: Astros 12, Pirates 9
DP: Astros 2, Pirates 0
Errors: McLaughlin, Oliver, Stennett
Doubles: Cabell (23), Metzger (4), Cedeno (13)
Home Runs: Robinson (12)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (3), Cabell (31), Ferguson (2), Moreno (29)
Sacrifice Hits: Taveras (6), Oliver (1)
GIDP: Parker (4), Oliver (8)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello              7.2   8   1   1   0   3   0  29   3.94
Sambito                 2.1   3   1   1   0   1   1  10   2.03
McLaughlin L(3-5)       0     1   1   1   1   0   0   3   4.71
Totals                 10    12   3   3   1   4   1  42

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
O. Jones                6     7   2   2   2   6   0  27   5.05
Jackson                 2     3   0   0   1   1   0   9   4.66
Gossage                 2     1   0   0   1   2   0   8   1.67
Tekulve W(9-1)          1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.21
Totals                 11    11   2   2   4   9   0  47

Wild Pitches: O. Jones (2)
Balks: Lemongello (3)

Umpires: HP - Art Williams, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - John McSherry


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cabell doubled
to right; Cedeno popped to third; Watson popped to first; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); Garner
popped to first; Parker singled to left; Robinson struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Ferguson flied
out to left; Howe struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Oliver grounded out (second to first); Stennett
grounded out (second to first); Ott grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger walked; Lemongello popped to first; Puhl
singled to left [Metzger to third]; Cabell struck out; Cedeno
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Moreno grounded out (second to first); O. Jones
struck out; Taveras grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled to left; Cruz struck out; Ferguson
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Watson to second]; O. Jones
threw a wild pitch [Watson to third]; Howe walked; Metzger
forced Howe (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Garner made an out to third; Parker singled to
center; Lemongello balked [Parker to second]; Robinson flied out
to left; Oliver flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Lemongello grounded out (second to first); Puhl
singled to center; Puhl stole second; Cabell struck out; Cedeno
lined to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Stennett flied out to center; Ott grounded out
(second to first); Moreno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson struck out; Cruz singled to left [Cruz to
second (error by Oliver)]; Ferguson struck out; Howe singled to
left [Cruz scored, Howe to second (on throw to home)]; Metzger
doubled to center [Howe scored]; Lemongello grounded out (second
to first); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 6TH: HAIRSTON BATTED FOR O. JONES; Hairston singled to
left; Taveras popped to third in foul territory; Garner singled
to left [Hairston to second]; Parker grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Garner out at second]; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 7TH: JACKSON REPLACED HAIRSTON (PITCHING); Puhl struck
out; Cabell singled to left; Cabell stole second; Cabell was
picked off second (pitcher to third to second); Cedeno singled
to left; Watson popped to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 7TH: Robinson singled to shortstop; Oliver grounded into
a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Robinson out at
second]; Stennett singled to center; Ott grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz singled to right; Ferguson forced Cruz (second
unassisted) [Ferguson to second (error by Stennett)]; Howe
grounded out (third to first) [Ferguson to third]; Metzger was
walked intentionally; Lemongello flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 8TH: Moreno singled to right; GONZALEZ BATTED FOR
JACKSON; Moreno stole second; Gonzalez singled to left [Moreno
scored]; Taveras out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Gonzalez to second]; Garner popped to first; SAMBITO REPLACED
LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); Parker grounded out (first unassisted); 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 9TH: GOSSAGE REPLACED TAVERAS (PITCHING); GONZALEZ STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); GARNER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS);
Puhl struck out; Cabell flied out to center; Cedeno doubled to
left; Watson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 9TH: Robinson homered; Oliver lined to shortstop;
Stennett singled to right; Ott forced Stennett (shortstop to
second); Moreno singled to left [Ott to third]; Gonzalez flied
to right in foul territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2,
Pirates 2.

ASTROS 10TH: MENDOZA REPLACED GONZALEZ (PLAYING SS); GARNER
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Cruz struck out; Ferguson
walked; Howe flied out to left; Ferguson stole second; Metzger
flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 10TH: FREGOSI BATTED FOR GOSSAGE; Fregosi struck out;
Garner flied out to right; Parker flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 11TH: TEKULVE REPLACED FREGOSI (PITCHING); BOSWELL BATTED
FOR SAMBITO; Boswell grounded out (second to first); Puhl
grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 11TH: MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Robinson
walked; Oliver reached on an error by McLaughlin on a sacrifice
bunt [Robinson to third, Oliver to first]; Stennett singled to
right [Robinson scored, Oliver to second]; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 2, Pirates 3.